


Obsession

by Starkiller19



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Stalking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 17:53:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17329697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starkiller19/pseuds/Starkiller19
Summary: When it seems someone is watching him, Prompto tells himself it's nothing, but he soon finds out it's not just his imagination.





	1. Chapter 1

The first time he saw the man, Prompto was jogging through the park at his usual time like he did most days. The blond smiled in passing, and the man sat up straighter, running his fingers through his short spiked black hair. With the way he was built, the stranger reminded Prompto a little of Gladio, especially with the large pink scar that ran from just below his left eye to his jaw. The man waved as his face brightened a little, and Prompto nodded in greeting, slowing down just a tad. His lungs burned, and his legs ached, but he knew if he stopped he would never finish his run. So, he continued, leaving the tall muscular man behind him. After that, Prompto started seeing him on the same bench every day, rain or shine. Prompto being the kind person he was would smile at him, occasionally calling out a hello as he passed, but on one warm sunny morning Prompto decided to stop in front of the bench. His lungs were burning, and his legs desperately needed a break.

“Hi,” he said, smiling at the man who was staring up at him. He placed his hands on his knees as he gasped for air and brushed a few stray pieces of hair out of his face. “Mind if I sit there?” he asked pointing to the spot next to the man.

The stranger immediately slid over to give him a little more room, and Prompto plopped down next to him, breathing deeply as he tried to catch his breath.

“Good run?” the man asked. His eyes nervously flicked to Prompto’s face then back down to the ground. Prompto smiled slightly at him, seeing a little of his own nervousness reflected in the mannerisms of the stranger.

“Yeah. My legs hurt so bad right now. It’s a good kind of pain, I guess.” He paused for a second as he placed his hands behind his head and leaned back. “I’ve seen you around here a lot. Do you live close by?” Prompto asked. The man simply nodded.

They sat in silence for a few moments while Prompto waited for his breathing to return to normal. He glanced at his phone and saw it was later than he thought.

“I should probably get going. I’ll see you around.” He jogged off, taking the quickest way home. As he approached the door of his apartment building, he slowed a little until he stopped. He glanced behind him, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he felt the odd sensation that someone was watching him. He looked all around him but found no one. He shrugged it off as his usual unease and greeted Mrs. Prudens, the elderly lady at the front desk, before he rushed up to his second-floor apartment. He fumbled with his keys as he hastily unlocked the door, and he didn’t let himself relax until he locked the door and slid the deadbolt across. He darted over to his window and peered out, eyes searching the street for anything odd. He saw nothing, but he pulled the curtains closed anyway, just to make himself feel better. He jumped as the shrill ring of his cell phone sliced through the air, but he relaxed as he saw the caller ID.

“Hey, Noct,” he said, his voice a little shaky.

“You okay?” Noctis asked, hearing the uneasiness in his voice.

“Yeah, I’m fine. The phone just startled me a little. What’s up?” He ran his fingers through his hair as he took a deep calming breath.

“Oh, I’m headed to the arcade, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with,” Noctis replied. Prompto only thought about it for a second.

“Sure!” he exclaimed.

“Great, I’ll tell Ignis to stop by your house on the way. We’ll be over in about a half hour.”  
Prompto hung up and quickly showered, getting all the sweat and grime from his morning run off before changing into a fresh pair of clothes. Soon a loud knock sounded from his door, and he opened it to see Noctis leaning casually against the door frame.

“Ready to go?” he asked. Prompto nodded and closed the door, turning the handle to make sure the door was locked. As the two walked to the car, Prompto stopped and stared down the street, eyes widening as he spotted a man in a black hoodie a few blocks down. He couldn’t make out much, but he got the odd feeling that the man was watching him.

“Come on, Prompto,” Noctis said. Prompto turned the prince for a second to let him know he heard him, but when he looked back down the street, the hooded man was gone. His shoulders tensed as he searched the street for the man, but there was no sign of him. Prompto hopped in the car and gave a half-hearted hello to Ignis who was in the driver’s seat.

“You okay, man? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Noctis studied his friend’s pale face.

“Uh, yeah I’m fine. Just a little tired is all,” he lied, glancing out the back window of the car.

It wasn’t long before Ignis was parking the car in front of the arcade. He informed them that he would come back when they were ready and sped off down the street. Prompto and Noctis rushed in the arcade and quickly spotted their favorite game. Prompto cheered as Noctis mashed the buttons, his character slaying every monster that came his way.

“I’m going to check out some of the other games,” Prompto told the prince. Noctis simply nodded, his focus solely on the game. The blond turned to look at the games and frowned, seeing every single game was in use, and more people were waiting in line to use them. Prompto glanced over at the concessions stand in the corner of the building.

“Actually, I’m going to get some food. You want anything?” he asked the prince.

“Uh, sure, just get me some candy or something,” he replied, sticking his tongue out as he concentrated. Prompto rolled his eyes as he strolled over to the stand. He purchased two boxes of candy and handed the money to the cashier. He popped a couple pieces in and smiled as he savored the flavor.

His smile faltered as the feeling of eyes on him suddenly returned, and Prompto whipped his head around, his eyes scanning the crowd for anyone watching him. Everyone seemed to be wrapped up in their own little world, and he let his eyes search for a few seconds longer before he made his way back to Noctis who was now on the next level. Get it together, man. What is wrong with you today? You’re just being paranoid, he told himself. Noctis cursed as the screen flashed the large words GAME OVER. Prompto handed him his box of candy and gently shoved him as took his place in front of the consol, cracking his knuckles as he smirked at the game. As his fingers flew across the controls, Prompto decided to ignore the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right until it finally went away.

“Woohoo!” he cheered as his score bumped the first-place person down. “Take that!” Noctis simply rolled his eyes as he placed his hand on the buttons, ready to try again.

They only stayed at the arcade for a couple hours, but when they exited the building, the sky was dark, and the stars shined brightly in the night sky. Noctis called Ignis to tell him they were done, and soon the advisor was pulling up next to the curb.

“Thanks for going with me. Ignis doesn’t appreciate arcade games as much as you do,” Noctis said as Ignis pulled the car over in front of Prompto’s apartment.

“Yeah, no problem. I never miss an opportunity to go to the arcade, especially with you,” Prompto replied.

The blond waved to the prince and his advisor as the car sped off down the street, and he trudged up to his apartment. He pulled his keys out and went to open the door, but he found the door to be unlocked already. That’s weird. I could have sworn I locked it when I left, he thought to himself as he cautiously walked in. He glanced around the apartment to see it just as he had left it; nothing seemed to be missing or disturbed. A cold chill filled the air, sending shivers down his spine. He looked to the curtains which were blowing gently in the wind, and he pulled them back to see the window wide open. I know that wasn’t open when I left. He slammed it shut and summoned his gun as his heart raced. A slight buzzing filled his ears as they listened for any sound out of the ordinary, but all he heard was the distant honking of cars driving by.

He shoved the door to his bedroom open, pointing his gun, his fingers clenched tightly around it, ready to pull the trigger. Nothing. He slowly tiptoed over to his closet and ripped it open, but again he found nothing. He checked every room and every closet, but no one was in the apartment. He sighed in relief as he dismissed the gun.

He pulled his desk drawer open and reached for the journal he’d started a few months ago and froze. Where his journal should have been, a large white envelope sat with Prompto’s name scrawled in large black letters on the front. Prompto gulped as he grabbed it, his shaking hands struggling to open the envelope. He pulled out the contents and suddenly all the air in the room disappeared. He gasped for air as panic set in, and his heart pounded painfully against his chest as the papers slipped to the floor. His fingers felt numb, and his lips began to tingle. He was hyperventilating. He knew he needed to slow his breathing, but his panicked mind wouldn’t let him. Wiping the sweat from his forehead he grabbed the papers off the floor and read them again. One was a picture of him jogging through the park, oblivious to the fact that someone was taking his picture. The other was a plain sheet of paper with a short yet chilling message: I’M WATCHING YOU.


	2. Chapter 2

Prompto collapsed on the floor as he clutched the papers tightly in his hands. What the hell was going on? He stared at the picture again as he searched for any possible clue as to who could have taken it. The image was simply a picture of him jogging in the park like he always did. What was he supposed to do? Was this a real threat or was it simply just a sick prank? Should he call the police? He didn’t want to make a big deal about it if it was just someone messing around. Prompto took a shaky breath as he collected his thoughts.

He’d call Noctis. Surely the prince would know what to do. Prompto pulled out his phone, cursing as his trembling fingers struggled to unlock it. “Please pick up,” he pleaded as the line rang. After a few moments, Prompto heard a soft click.

“Miss me already?” Noctis asked, and Prompto could practically hear the smirk.

The blond licked his lips as he thought about why he’d called. What exactly did he expect Noctis to do? Prompto had no idea who left the note. He didn’t even know if this was a real threat or not.

“Prom, what’s up?” Noctis asked seriously, a hint of concern evident in his voice.

“I-I was wondering if, uh, if maybe you could come o-over?” He tried to stop the trembling in his body, but he knew the nervousness could easily be heard in his voice.

“Why? What’s going on?”

“I just need your help with something,” Prompto replied. He wasn’t quite sure how to explain the situation over the phone. Prompto heard some murmuring on the other side of the line before Noctis replied.

“Ignis is turning around now. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Ten minutes later, a loud knock on the door sent sweet relief through his entire being. He jumped to his feet, dashed over to the door and threw it open. Standing in the hall were Noctis and Ignis. Their eyes scanned him, probably checking to make sure there were no injuries or anything before they entered the apartment.

“You sounded freaked on the phone,” Noctis said. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he eyed his best friend. Prompto chewed on his bottom lip as he led them into his bedroom where he’d left the note and picture. He picked them up off the floor and handed the papers to Noctis.

“When you dropped me off I found my door unlocked and that window open,” he said, pointing to the offending window. “I checked my apartment, but I didn’t find anything. Then I opened my desk drawer and found these where I usually keep my journal.”

Noctis frowned as he examined the papers, and Ignis peered over the prince’s shoulder. The paper crinkled in the Noctis’s hands as he clenched his fists, and he looked to Prompto for an explanation. “Do you have any idea what this is? Who it might be?” His fear and unease were coming off as anger, but right now he wanted answers. Someone was threatening his friend. Prompto shook his head as he glanced at the advisor who was looking a little pale.

“Let’s just take a moment to calm down,” Ignis said. “This could very well just be someone trying to get a rise out of you.”

“What are you talking about?!” Noctis shouted. He shoved the paper directly in front of his advisor’s face. “Someone is threatening him. We can’t just let this go!” Prompto took a step back, guilt gnawing at him as he watched the two argue over his mess. He shouldn’t have gotten them involved. He should have just kept this to himself.

“I’m not saying we should let this go. I’m simply saying that we should try to gather more information before panicking.”

The prince growled as he paced the room. Prompto glanced between the two before his eyes settled on the papers which were still in Noctis’s hand. His heart pounded in his chest, and suddenly he couldn’t breathe again. His palms were sweating as he took shallow breaths. He felt a firm hand on his shoulder, and he was spun around. His vision was starting to blur, but he could still make out Ignis’s face. He was saying something, but it sounded like he was underwater. He watched Ignis take an exaggerated breath and immediately knew what the advisor wanted from him. Prompto focused solely on matching his breaths to Ignis’s. After a few moments, his vision started to clear, and he could finally make out what the other was trying to say.

“-at’s it. In and out. Deep breaths.” Ignis must have noticed that Prompto was starting to calm down because he stopped taking deeper breaths and tightened his grip on the younger man’s shoulder. “Are you all right now?” he asked. Prompto straightened as he nodded. Ignis hesitated before removing his hand, and he shared a worried glance with the prince who was hovering behind his best friend. Prompto wiped his palms on his pants.

“What am I supposed to do?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I don’t know, Prom, but we’ll figure this out,” Noctis said. “I promise.”

“Is there anyone who could possibly hold a grudge against you? Anyone you think might want to hurt you?” Ignis asked. His tone was serious, and Prompto swallowed around the lump in his throat.

“H-hurt me?” His voice cracked a little. “No, I can’t think of anyone who would want to hurt me.”

“Are you sure? You haven’t gotten into an argument or anything with anyone recently?”

“No! I can’t think of anything!” Ignis winced a little at the outburst and immediately regretted pushing so hard. The advisor sighed in frustration as he realized just how helpless he really was in this situation.

“I can talk to Cor and see if he’ll look into this,” Noctis suggested.

Prompto frantically shook his head. “No!” he shouted. “No, don’t get Cor involved. It’s not that big of a deal. I-I’ll be fine.” Prompto played with the band around his wrist like he often did when he was nervous. “I’m sure it’s just a prank.”

“Then this is some sick prank,” Noctis mumbled as he sat on the bed. He hated that he had no idea how to handle this situation, and the whole idea of someone stalking his best friend terrified him. “Hey, Iggy. Can you run home and grab a change of clothes for me?”

Ignis pushed his glasses further up his nose as he smiled slightly. “Certainly.”

“Whoa, Noct. What are you doing?” Prompto asked while he watched Ignis leave the room. Noctis said nothing and headed for the living room where he switched on Prompto’s gaming console, picked up a controller, and plopped on the couch. The blond hesitated a moment before following.

“Want to play?” Noctis asked. Prompto nodded and grabbed the controller that Noctis was holding out for him.

* * *

Ignis unlocked the door to Noctis’s apartment and flipped on the lights. He sighed as he stared at the heaps of clothes and old pizza boxes but decided that scolding the prince about this mess was not important at the moment. He placed his keys on the counter and headed for Noctis’s room. Ignis quickly found a change of clothes for the prince and tossed the items as well as a few other necessities into the backpack he’d found at the bottom of Noctis’s closet. As he zipped it up, he heard a noise from the other room and froze. Someone was walking around the apartment. He could hear the heavy footfalls echoing through the space.

“Noct!” a deep voice called. He knew that voice. Ignis sighed in relief as he shouldered the bag and left the prince’s room.

“Gladio, what on earth are you doing here?” the advisor asked. Gladio jumped a little before relaxing when he saw it was just Ignis.

“Noctis missed his training session today,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “I tried calling him, but I think he’s ignoring my calls. I came to see if he was here.” Gladio’s gaze shifted to the room the advisor had just come from. “Is he?”

“No. The prince is dealing with an…issue.” Gladio frowned, and a hint of poorly hidden concern was etched on his face.

“What kind of an issue?” The shield eyed the bag on Ignis’s shoulder. “Is he in trouble?” He really hoped the prince wasn’t planning on running away. He knew Noctis’s was starting to worry a little about the whole wedding thing, but he didn’t take the prince to be the type to run away from his problems.

Ignis hesitated as he thought about what to say next. He wasn’t sure if Prompto would be comfortable with Gladiolus knowing what was going on, but Gladio was obviously worried about the prince.

“He’s not the one who is in trouble,” Ignis reassured him. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some place I must be.” He made to step around the large man, but Gladio shifted to block him.

“You’re not leaving until I get some answers,” he crossed his arms and glared at Ignis. The advisor sighed as he took a step back and stared back at him. “Now, who the hell is in trouble and what does this have to do with Noctis? As his shield I have the right to know.”

“Calm down, Gladio. It seems Prompto has found himself to either be the victim of a cruel prank or in a bit of a dangerous situation,” Ignis replied. “Now if you don’t mind I promised Noct that I wouldn’t take too long.” Gladio stood rooted in his spot with his mouth wide open as he tried to process what the advisor had just said. As Ignis shouldered his way past the shield, Gladio grabbed his arm.

“I’m coming with you.”

Ignis paused for a moment, but once he saw the look on Gladio’s face he knew there was no changing his mind. “Very well. I’ll explain everything on the way.”

* * *

 

“I hate this game,” Noctis mumbled, tossing the controller onto the couch after his thirteenth loss of the night. His heart clenched to see Prompto simply give him a small smile. Usually his energetic friend would jump around the room cheering and throwing his victories in Noctis’s face, but now Prompto could barely muster up a real smile. He’d even asked Prompto if he wanted to order a pizza, but the blond had said he wasn’t hungry. Noctis had never known Prompto to turn down food before.

Just then, a soft knock sounded on the door before he heard Ignis call out that he had brought Gladio with him. Out of the corner of his eye, Noctis saw Prompto straighten a little, but he didn’t object. Noctis opened the door for the two, and Ignis handed him his old worn backpack before pushing past the prince with Gladio not far behind. Prompto quietly greeted both, and they shared a look of concern at the lack of enthusiasm. Under the current circumstances though who could blame him?

Noctis threw his bag on the counter and plopped down on the couch again. Ignis took the seat next to him, and Gladio stood to the side of the couch, eyes trained on the younger man. They sat in an awkward silence for a few moments before Prompto cleared his throat.

“So, I-I guess Iggy told you about… everything,” Prompto said. Gladio nodded and his expression softened a little.

“Can I see the note?” he asked. Noctis hopped up and retrieved the papers from the kitchen table where he’d left them. He handed them to the shield and watched as his eyes scanned them. He looked over them for a few moments, and his eyes narrowed, a clear sign he was angry. He glanced at the clock on the wall and rubbed his temple with a sigh. “It’s late, but we should tell somebody about this in the morning. I’ll bring this to my dad. He’ll take care of this.”

“Th-that’s okay,” Prompto replied quickly. “I don’t want to bother him with this. I know he’s probably busy with more important things.”

“Don’t be stupid. You’re the prince’s best friend, and any threat to you is a threat to the prince.” Prompto’s cheeks burned bright red, and he dropped his gaze to the ground. Gladio nodded to himself, glad that the younger man didn’t seem ready to argue with him at the moment.

“Fine.” Silence settled over them again. Prompto let out a yawn and stood up. “You guys can head home whenever you want. I’m just going to head to bed. It’s been a long day.”

“There’s no way we’re leaving you home alone,” Noctis told him. “Why do you think I asked Ignis to bring over extra clothes?”

Prompto felt as if those words lifted a weight from his shoulders that he didn’t realize was there. He couldn’t stand the thought of being alone right now, but he also didn’t want to assume anything. The others had their own issues to deal with, and he didn’t want to burden them with his problems. He smiled at Noctis and rushed to his room where he grabbed an assortment of blankets and pillows from his closet and bed.

He dropped them on the floor of the living room, grabbed a few, and laid them out on the floor. The others claimed spots on the floor as well, and soon Prompto was listening to the comforting snores of Gladio. The steady breathing of Noctis and Ignis told Prompto he was the only one still awake, but he couldn’t seem to find sleep. Every time he would start to doze off, the feeling of hidden eyes on him would jolt him out of his fitful sleep.

After a few hours of tossing and turning, a loud crash from his bedroom startled him. Gladio jumped up, wide eyes darting around the apartment. Ignis hastily put on his glasses as he flipped on a light, and Noctis rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Prompto stumbled to his feet, taking a cautious step towards his bedroom until Gladio held an arm out to stop him. The shield slowly walked towards the room. His footsteps were surprisingly light considering how large he was. He flipped the light on, and quickly scanned the room. The window leading out to the fire escape was shattered, but he didn’t see anyone. He checked the closet and under the bed but found nothing. He noticed the other three filing into the room, and he walked over to the pile of glass. A large rock was resting against the nightstand. Gladio picked up the rock and turned it over. On one side, a piece of paper was taped to the smooth surface. He gently removed the sheet and examined it. The words ‘Property of Prompto Argentum’ were scribbled in the blond’s distinctive handwriting, but Gladio was focused on what was written on top of those words. The word MINE was neatly etched across the paper in large red letters.

Prompto came up behind him and wrenched the paper out of his hands. He gasped as he recognized the page. “Th-this is from my journal!” he stammered. Noctis and Ignis peered at the paper over his shoulder. The shield stuck his head out the window, searching for any trace of the person who had thrown the rock through the glass. Even with the street lights on, Gladio couldn’t really see anything, and he sighed in frustration. He pushed past the others and headed to the living room where he started pulling on his boots and tugged a shirt over his head.

“Where are you going?” Noctis asked.

“ _We_ are going to talk to my father.”


End file.
